Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Nabeul

For one person, living is cheaper in Nabeul: $678 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Nabeul
Learn more

Nabeul Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Nabeul

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Nabeul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Istanbul and in Nabeul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $678 in Nabeul, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Nabeul $678

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,065 in Nabeul, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Nabeul $1,065

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,452 in Nabeul, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Nabeul $1,452

Istanbul costs about 129% more than Nabeul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Nabeul is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$4.08 TND 12.22

201.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$20.03 TND 60.0

173.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$4.81 TND 14.40

91.68%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.50 TND 4.48

193.33%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.61 TND 1.82

175.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.55 TND 1.65

7.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.63 TND 4.89

188.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$1.62 TND 4.86

264.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.46 TND 1.38

163.04%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.16 TND 0.49

456.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.33 TND 3.97

64.66%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.53 TND 4.58

53.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$11.76 TND 35.23

-11.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$5.95 TND 17.83

-5.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$12.33 TND 36.93

69.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.04 TND 6.10

-6.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$3.56 TND 10.65

-35.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.32 TND 3.96

-3.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.77 TND 2.30

133.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.65 TND 1.94

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.79 TND 2.38

-18.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.48 TND 1.43

160.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.31 TND 0.94

80.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.37 TND 10.08

-29.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$4.87 TND 14.60

175.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.21 TND 3.64

98.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.25 TND 3.76

178.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.83 TND 2.48

7.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.31 TND 0.94

316.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.32 TND 0.95

187.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$0.88 TND 2.64

67.05%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$40.2K TND 120.5K

26.21%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$36.1K TND 108.0K

23.43%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$88.6 ₺4,387

$59.7 TND 179

48.50%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$11.59 ₺574

$10.40 TND 31.16

11.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$19.91 TND 59.6

-20.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$29.74 TND 89.1

159.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$13.72 TND 41.09

65.74%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$5.49 TND 16.44

48.27%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$60.3 TND 181

1571.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$3,717 TND 11.1K

587.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$38.06 TND 114

41.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$57.8 TND 173

-29.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$96.5 TND 289

2.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$66.2 TND 198

45.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$228 TND 684

331.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$156 TND 468

315.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$378 TND 1,133

424.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$278 TND 832

324.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$849 TND 2,544

269.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$813 TND 2,435

118.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$255 TND 763

373.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

10.33

296.13%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nabeul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Nabeul

$156 23.1% 75.9% $493

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Nabeul

$188 27.7% 27.6% $72

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Nabeul

$81 12% 63.7% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Nabeul

$116 17.2% 10.9% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Nabeul

$90 13.3% 22.4% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Nabeul

$41 6% 56.4% $53

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Nabeul

$5.2 * 0.8% 93.2% $72

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $228 in Nabeul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 373% higher in Istanbul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $20.00 in Nabeul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $188 – making Nabeul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇳 Nabeul

🕒 Local time

05:25 5:25 AM

03:25 3:25 AM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

73,128

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 TND = 0.334 USD

1 TND = 0.297 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Nabeul 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Nabeul

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Istanbul vs Nabeul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 129%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $1,016 in Nabeul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nabeul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $20.00 in Nabeul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nabeul, where all-in costs run around $678, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Nabeul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nabeul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Nabeul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.